Understanding ICV's Approach

Through experience, ICV has learned what works, and what doesn’t. In ICV’s approach communities have control, they invite ICV in. Communities prioritise and decide on the work to be done. Working only at invitation, where communities design and own the activities, ICV facilitates empowerment, genuine buy in and long term results.

ICV’s approach ensures change is driven by the people who are living with the issue and the solution comes from their own lived experience.

Capability development is key to ICV’s approach. ICV supported projects facilitate meaningful and relevant learning. ICV states, “We don’t build the house, we work with communities to learn how to build it, they then build it themselves.”

Through the problem solving process and designing the work, communities gain an understanding of what they are capable of, what existing assets they can tap into in their region and where they need additional support and learning. Through implementing and delivering the work, people are proud of what they’ve achieved.

Because of the ownership within the community, there is increased transparency and accountability around decision making and governance.

The opposite of ICV’s approach is where communities are told they have problems, are told what to do or that someone else is coming to fix it. In this scenario, communities have no control, no input in decision making and people feel excluded and disempowered. This results in no buy in, no ownership and no sustainability.